


Journey Homewards

by princess_of_badassia



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Army, F/M, Love Triangles, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-24
Updated: 2013-08-24
Packaged: 2017-12-24 11:59:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/939764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princess_of_badassia/pseuds/princess_of_badassia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mara Taylor was a believer in miracles. She saw them every time one of her three brothers came back from a deployment in the Middle East. Or whenever some cop on the street gave a homeless man the boots off his own feet. However despite    Mara’s belief in miracles, she was sure the so-called miracle she received was actually a curse. “Are you sure, you know how to shoot one of these?” a smooth southern voice asked.</p><p>    The voice belonged to the one and only Rick Grimes. Sherriff’s Deputy of King County, Georgia. Father of the adorable Carl Grimes and husband of the not-so-much-liked Lori Grimes. But even more so…the main character of her brothers’ favorite TV show  The Walking Dead. A TV show Mara had only began watching, until she somehow ended up living it for real life. She wasn’t yet too sure it was not a really really realistic dream. “I got sent home from basic training for hurting my back. Not for being unable to qualify with my weapon.” Mara snorted, lying her ass off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Begining

**Author's Note:**

> I have this one Fanfiction.net and it seemed to be doing rather well, so I figured it was worthy enough of the glory of archiveofourown. Any tell me what you guys think of it, please. :) This is my first time posting on here, so I am somewhat nervous.

Mara Taylor was a believer in miracles. She saw them every time one of her three brothers came back from a deployment in the Middle East. Or whenever some cop on the street gave a homeless man the boots off his own feet. However despite Mara’s belief in miracles, she was sure the so-called miracle she received was actually a curse. “Are you sure, you know how to shoot one of these?” a smooth southern voice asked.

The voice belonged to the one and only Rick Grimes. Sherriff’s Deputy of King County, Georgia. Father of the adorable Carl Grimes and husband of the not-so-much-liked Lori Grimes. But even more so…the main character of her brothers’ favorite TV show  _The Walking Dead_. A TV show Mara had only began watching, until she somehow ended up living it for real life. She wasn’t yet too sure it was not a really really realistic dream. “I got sent home from basic training for hurting my back. Not for being unable to qualify with my weapon.” Mara snorted, lying her ass off.

She had gotten sent home for failing to qualify with her weapon, but in her defense those target were nowhere near as close as the walkers were. Plus those targets didn’t try to eat her either. Rick looked at the young girl for a second with a contemplating look on his face. He trusted Mara as much as he did anyone else he met so far-maybe a little more, because they were in the same boat. Both of them amazingly met in the hospital. Neither one of them knowing what was going on. Although Rick’s reaction had been ten times more calm compared to Mara’s when he woke her up in the hallways of the dingy hospital. “Alright. I believe you, Mar. But be careful with it okay? It’s not a toy.” Rick warned handing her a rifle.

Mara rolled her dark brown eyes. “I’m twenty-two, Rick. Not five.”

He gave her a small smile before turning to the man who helped him so much. If it weren’t for Morgan than Mara and him surely would have died.  The man and his son took them in despite the fact they could be very dangerous people.  He had shown them the ropes of their new world and provided them with a temporary place to stay. And although Morgan opted to stay a little bit longer, Rick would always be eternally grateful to him. “Are you sure you won’t come?” Rick asked.

“A few more days.” Morgan insisted, “By then Duane will know how to shoot and I won’t be so rusty.”

Rick nodded turning back to the police car where Mara sat. She gave him a soft smile before handing him one of the radios. He blinked for second slightly surprised. Mara had a strange habit of somehow knowing what he was thinking. He gave her an appreciated nod before turning his attention back to  Morgan. “You have one battery.” Rick warned handing the radio to Morgan, “I’ll turn mine on every few minutes at dawn. You get up there that’s how you’ll find us.”

Morgan smiled. “You think ahead.”

“Can’t afford not to nowadays.” Mara piped up for the car.

Morgan shot her a small smile. “Listen one thing, they may not seem like much one at a time. But a whole horde of them riled up and hungry…you better watch your guys back. Especially hers. The way you said you found her, it’s obvious she didn’t just wake up like you did. Now I don’t know what happened to make her just forget something like this going on, but it can’t be good.”

Rick nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll watch her back.”

From inside the car, Mara snorted.  Amnesia? What a loud of bull. Unfortunately though it was better than saying ‘hey I come from a different world, where all this suffering just makes really good TV.’ Cause that would go over real well.  Mara sighed running a hand through her thick mangled black locks. For years, she tried to grow it out to be as long as her mother’s hair was. Now however she wanted to chop it all off.  The stupid thing  was always looking messy and getting stuck on stuff. Earlier that morning she was almost killed by a walker cause her hair got stuck on a door knob. Thankfully Rick was there to save her.

A shot rang out in the air and Mara knew it was time to go.  “Old friend?” Mara asked as Rick got into the driver’s seat.

He shot her a look. “Something like that. How’d ya know?”

“I’m good at reading people like that.”

“Yeah, well stop.” Rick said, though his tone wasn’t unfriendly.

She smiled at him peeking out the window. Rick glanced at her curiously. “You think they’ll be alright?” she murmured, as she watched Morgan’s car disappear.

“Honestly, I don’t know anything anymore Mar. I just pray that they do.” Rick sighed.

Mara gave him a soft smile. “I think they will. I mean they made it this far didn’t they?”

Rick gave her soft smile. He couldn’t explain it but there was something that drew him to Mara. Perhaps it was the fact that in a way they were the same. Or the fact that from step one Mara was just as positive as him that he’d find Lori and Carl. Which was actually the only thing she was positive about in this whole mess. “I take it, you’re going to go shoot that corpse with met by the bicycle?”  Mara mentioned as he parked the car.

He glanced at her. “You really got to stop doing that. It freaks me out you can read me so easily without knowing me that long.”

“I’ll stop half through episode 4 of this horror.” Mara muttered, her eyes glued to the window besides her.

He blinked, but decided to let it go. “I’ll be back. Stick tight.”

“I’m not dumb enough to do anything else.”

Rick smiled shaking his head before heading out to the poor half-eaten woman he saw earlier. Meanwhile Mara sat in the front seat trying to recall every detail her brothers spouted to her about the damn show. Each one she remembered got written down in a small black notebook, her brother Zane got for her return home present. A shot rang out in the air and within minutes Rick came running back to the car. By then Mara had the notebook tucked protectively into her ugly  black rucksack. It was the only thing that she had left attaching her to the world she belonged to. An ugly bag her brother Bryon thrown at her to use for their upcoming camping trip. However instead of being used for camping, it was being used for survival-as well as a home to a book that could disrupted the whole TV show’s plot if it ever gotten into the hands of the wrong person.


	2. Smalk Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick took the first step forward walking a few paces before freezing. He shot Mara a look asking if she had heard it too…the footsteps. She nodded, crouching down simultaneously with him. For a brief second Rick was grateful to whatever voodoo mindreading powers Mara owned. However his gratitude disappeared as he caught eye of a sickly pair of white legs scuffling along. One of Mara’s hands clutched his shoulders as a soft ‘don’t’ escaped her. But it was ignored the moment he saw the little girl’s hand reach down to grab the teddy bear.

“You’re joking. Someone was stupid enough to do that?” Mara laughed at the smiling cop.

“It’s not a bad idea if you think about it. With a motorized barstool you’d always have a seat at a bar and a ride home, it just still qualifies as driving a vehicle while intoxicated.” Rick smiled, “What about you? Any fun stories?”

 “Probably more than necessary. I have three older brothers back home. Each one of them in the military.” Mara’s smile faltered a little. “I was the only who didn’t make it. Not that they cared much. My oldest brother Bryon nearly got into a fight with my recruiter when he heard I was joining. Easton my second oldest brother actually had to hold him back, while Zane the youngest of the three dumb asses was on the ground laughing.”

“They must’ve been glad to have you home.”

Mara smile was replaced with a small frown. Rick noticed the faraway look in her eyes. “You’re a good father, Rick. Don’t mean to get sappy on you, but you are?”

He smiled at her softly. “How would you know?”

“Easy. If I were missing the only ones looking for me would be my brothers. My father couldn’t give a damn if I vanished.” Mara murmured. The relationship between her father and her if anything was shattered. It was never something to brag about in the first place. The early death of her mother was much to blame for that. However thanks to her failure to join the army, her father had officially disowned her. And in turn her brothers officially disowned him. “Anyway enough with the sad talk. We’ll find your family by the end of the week.”

“You seem so sure about that.” Rick said uncertain what to make of Mara’s optimism.

“Look Rick, I’m going to tell you something you can’t tell anyone.” Mara said her voice dead serious.

Rick glanced at her curious and admittedly slightly worried. There was still the option of Mara being an insane criminal in his book. Though it was rather slim. “I know this is going to sound too good to be true, but I swear it’s the truth.” She was staring at him now. “I am always right. Always. And if one day I am-ever by the grace of God not right, then I’ll give you what is perhaps the last chocolate bar known to man.”

He cracked a grin. However it fell the moment Mara waved the chocolate bar in front of him. The fact she even had a Hershey bar was an almost baffling reality. “You have an actual Hershey bar in that bag of yours and you didn’t tell me?” Rick half-heartedly teased.

“This my friend is not any ordinary rucksack. It’s a US army Mollie Rucksack that I just so happen to spray paint black after Zane threw it at me.  And it holds perhaps more than you can even imagine. Besides where do you think Duane got that random pack of gum from?” Mara bragged.

Rick was about to ask her what else she carried in that magical bag of hers, when the patrol car suddenly came to a slowing halt. He sighed looking down at the gas gage. It wasn’t a surprise to him at all that they were out of gas. He had know for the last couple miles. “Out of gas?” Mara asked, “Well I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Come on officer let’s get a walking.”

Mara opened the door swinging herself gracefully out the car. Rick stayed watching the young woman for a second. She was something that was for sure. Despite the fact the world ended or that there ‘people’ eating people, she somehow remained cheerful. Though he could also attribute that to her whole denial about thing happening. After all the first thing she said-well screeched to Rick was ‘ _you’re not real!’_  Whatever that meant.

“You coming Officer Friendly? Or are you going to continue analyzing me from the car?” Mara called.

“I’m not analyzing you.” Rick lied hoping out of the car.

Mara rolled her eyes, but let it go. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Rick was still trying to come to terms with who she was. The man probably thought she was crazy with her go-get-them attitude. A big contrast to her original panicking paranoid self when he first woke her up. “Wouldn’t be surprised if he suspected you to be fucking bipolar, Mara. It’s the end of the world and you’re having a ball here.” She muttered to herself.

It wasn’t long before Rick was right beside her with the gas can. And it wasn’t even longer before they realized the patrol car had conveniently stopped near a gas station. Rick gave her a look before motioning her to stay besides him. She nodded ignoring the temptation to tell him there was no gas here. But she couldn’t risk the chance of revealing too much.

They walked quietly around the abandoned campground surrounding the station. Theirs glancing sadly around them. There was everything from rotting corpses laying out in the sunlight to tricycles a little girl would love. A shiver ran up Mara’s spine. She knew what happened next, but that didn’t mean she liked it. “Rick, I’m not one to chicken out easily, but there’s nothing here. “ Mara expressed.

Rick glanced at her, the emotion in his eyes almost matching hers.  “I can’t blame you for being scared Mara, but we don’t have the luxury to rule this place out on a whim. Look stay here, where it’s safe. I’ll go see if there’s any gas left.”

Mara shook her head. She didn’t know if  being from a different world granted her some sort of strange immunity to death. Furthermore it didn’t seem to be fair to leave Rick by himself to kill a poor little girl. Even if she was a walker. “No. We stick together, no matter how much of a bad idea I think this is.”

 He nodded giving her a brief smile before continuing to walk towards the pumps. Mara couldn’t help but smirk slightly at the “ **No Gas** ” sign hanging on them. However it quickly vanished as Rick wearily eyed her. It wasn’t hard to see he was getting tired fast of her ‘predictions’ coming true. Their interaction came to an end though thanks to a strange noise. Rick spun around his hand on his belt. Mara moved closer to him. Her heart racing.

Rick took the first step forward walking a few paces before freezing. He shot Mara a look asking if she had heard it too…the footsteps. She nodded, crouching down simultaneously with him. For a brief second Rick was grateful to whatever voodoo mindreading powers Mara owned. However his gratitude disappeared as he caught eye of a sickly pair of white legs scuffling along. One of Mara’s hands clutched his shoulders as a soft ‘ _don’t_ ’ escaped her. But it was ignored the moment he saw the little girl’s hand reach down to grab the teddy bear.

“Little girl.” He called following her. “I’m a policeman. Little girl…don’t be afraid. Okay? Little girl-“

Mara closed her eyes picturing the heartbreaking scene from where she was. The poor kid was a walker. A gruesome looking one too. She could practically hear the regret in Rick sigh as the girl came growling towards him. Without a second thought she pushed her cowardliness a side and rush towards Rick.  “What are you doing, Rick? She’s dead. Shoot her!” Mara called out, although she knew it needn’t be said.

Rick gave one last pitiful look at the walker before pulling the trigger. The walker flew back with a sickening splash. Slowly Mara walked over to the slightly shaking Rick. Quietly she wrapped an arm around his bringing both it and the gun down together. “There was nothing you could do, Rick. It was either kill her or be eaten.” Mara assured, her arm still wrapped around his.

He nodded numbly before stumbling over to a nearby car. “She was a little girl, Mar. A few years younger than Carl or Duane. What if it had been one of them-“

“Rick Grimes don’t you do this to me now. You know damn well your son and wife are alive. And if you don’t believe your own judgment then believe mine, cause I am not lying to you when I saw they’re alive. I know it! I can feel it in whatever military instinct rubbed off on me in boot camp you hear?” Mara snapped, “Besides I’m the emotional psychotic lunatic here, remember? Not the other way around.”

Rick chuckled slightly giving Mara one last look. “Thanks Mar. I’m glad to have you with me. Even if you are an emotional psychotic lunatic with weird mutant powers.”

“Whatever Officer Friendly, you’ll be missing them once they disappear after episode four of this drama-rama. Now let’s get a move on, before more of those things show up.” Mara said making her way through the maze of cars.

Rick couldn’t help but smile. Mara was right. Lori and Carl were alive, he could feel it in his bones. And if they weren’t…well Rick had a feeling Mara wouldn’t just let him give up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His blue eyes gazing at the beautiful brown horse waiting in the field. It was a miracle, unfortunately Mara didn’t seem to see it that way. “No way.” Mara gasped grabbing Rick’s hand. “We are not going near that thing, Rick. For all we know a walker could have bitten it and now it’s infected."
> 
> Rick stared at her in disbelief. “An infected horse?”
> 
> “Hey, it happened in 28 Days Later. Who says it can happen now? All we need is that thing biting one of us thus turning you or me into one of those disgusting things.” Mara babbled.

“You sure, you don’t want me to carry anything Rick?”

It must’ve been the hundredth time Mara had asked him that in the past two hours. Since there was no gas at the station or another station in the vicinity. They were left to do the only reasonable thing there was…walk. And while Mara only had to carry her rucksack, Rick was carrying the guns, a bag filled with necessities and the gas can. “I’m fine, Mar. That bag you’re carrying is practically twice your size. You don’t need to carry anything else.” Rick assured.

Mara gave him a look. “I know I always say this, but you do remember that I did happen to go to basic. They make you march miles with a fifty pound ruck, a helmet, Kevlar vest and your M-16.”

“You also hurt your back in basic remember? It was why you got sent home. Don’t need you screwing it up anymore with no more doctors around.” Rick reminded.

Mara bit the inside of her cheek. She had a feeling her lie was going to come back and bite her one day. Until then she was still too embarrassed to tell the truth. “At least let me carry the gas can. It weighs nothing.”

Rick gave her a reluctant look, but Mara continued to press. “Please Rick. I feel useless not carrying anything.”

“Fine, but as soon as you get tired you’re to give it straight back to me.” 

“Yes, big brother.” Mara snorted rolling her eyes.

He smiled shaking his head at the stubborn woman. Mara had once told him that she was a Grayson, and that nothing kept a Grayson down. Something that she continuously proved to be true to Rick. Even if it was mostly because she was just too damn stubborn.  “Looks like there’s a house up ahead. If we’re lucky they might have some gas to spare.” Rick pointed out.

Mara nodded silently following Rick. Once again she decided not to tell Rick what she already knew. That they wouldn’t be finding any gas again. At least this time there were no walkers. Only grisly dead bodies rotting about. Mara swallowed hard pushing the thought away as she picked up her pace to catch up with Rick. “You alright?” He asked worried.

“Peachy.” Mara murmured.

“No, visions from the great seer Mara huh?” Rick joked half-heartedly. As much as he hated to admit it, Rick was actually beginning to believe in Mara’s all foreseeing power. Normally such ideas made him laugh, but after a while everything Mara predicted eventually came to light. Moreover the world had come to an end from something just as improbable as Mara’s ‘gift’. So what gave him the right to question what was real anymore?

“None so far.” Mara gave him a weak smile.

 Rick could tell it was a lie. She looked ready to gag about something. However Rick let it go, continuing his way to the porch of the farm house. “Hello!” he called dropping the bags on the ground, “Police Officer out here! Can my friend and I borrow some gas?”

Mara watched him wearily as he headed towards the house. She followed him, gas can ready in hand. However she was stopped partway by Rick giving her the signal to wait. An impatient sigh escaped her. Not only would him walking in the house be pointless, but he was treating her like a child. “Rick. I’m twenty-two.” Mara protested walking after him.

He ignored her. “Hello?”

He walked up to the front door peering into the glass panels, before knocking. “Hello, anybody home?”

“Obviously not Rick, if there was then they’d already have a shotgun drawn at us or something.” Mara commented.

As always Rick gave her an exasperated look before deciding to ignore her . She let out a growl following him as he checked out the windows. “Why do I tell you anything if you’re just going to ignore me?” Mara snapped as he froze in place.

“I had to see it for myself.” Rick answered his voice a little hoarse.

He wasn’t shaking this time, but his face was still pale. Mara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. His blue eyes shot her a grateful. She nodded stepping towards the window to look for herself, but was stopped by Rick grabbing her wrist. “Don’t. It’s nothing anyone wants to see.” Rick said softly.

Mara nodded not bothering to argue which Rick was grateful for . With one last glance back at the window he exited the porch all the while still holding on to Mara.  It wasn’t until Rick made it to a stone bench where they could sit on that he let go.  “It’s going to be alright, Rick. I know it’s hard to believe with all the horrors we keep seeing, but we’re going to make it through.” Mara assured.

“I know.” Rick replied, “Come on let’s see if their truck is working. Maybe we can take that to the city.”

“Alright, but you’re driving.” Mara ordered.

Rick shook his head as he walked to the truck. “Since when am I not driving?”

Mara  smiled watching him search the truck. “Trust me, it’s better that way. You don’t want this little girl here driving, she’ll crash into a tree or something.”

It wasn’t far from the truth. Mara was a horrible driver. So bad that she somehow how scared all three of her brothers three military brothers  into never letting her drive again. And all three of them had been deployed in battle at least twice. “I take it, you’re one of the people I pull over for driving like a beginner?” Rick asked slamming the truck door despondently.

Mara flashed him a grin. “Wouldn’t be too far from the truth. Never got my licenses. After nearly crashing into a Jimmy Jones with Bryon, almost falling asleep while driving on a highway with Easton, and ‘accidentally’ hitting Zane’s car while backing out, none of my brothers want to be my driving coach anymore.”

“Well, there’s plenty of open space now surprisingly. We can have you practice next time we get another car.” Rick offered.

“You don’t want that. There’s a reason God made legs.”

“Trust me, Mar. With the way things are looking, by the time we find another car you’ll be done with walking for good.”

The pair laughed temporarily forgetting the dead couple inside. They headed back towards the bags only to be stopped by the sound of a horse. Rick’s head snapped towards the sound. His blue eyes gazing at the beautiful brown horse waiting in the field. It was a miracle, unfortunately Mara didn’t seem to see it that way. “No way.” Mara gasped grabbing Rick’s hand. “We are not going near that thing, Rick. For all we know a walker could have bitten it and now it’s infected.”

Rick stared at her in disbelief. “An infected horse?”

“Hey, it happened in 28 Days Later. Who says it can happen now? All we need is that thing biting one of us thus turning you or me into one of those disgusting things.” Mara babbled.

Rick shook his head smiling. Looked like someone had a slight fear of horses. Who would have guessed? “Look, I’m going to go round up the horse, Mar. You –you stay near the bags. You know just in case the horse decides to go mad on me and turn me into a walker.” Rick teased heading off to the barn.

Mara frowned. “Oh haha, make fun of the girl who is always right. Well, we’ll see who is laughing when that creature decides to make you its lunch!”

Rounding up the horse was easier than Rick had expected.  All it took was a calm steady voice to saddle the horse up. The real trouble was in getting Mara to get on.  At first Rick thought she was just uneasy about them, but his mind was quickly changed the minute Mara started to back away from the animal.  Her browns eyes large and her normally tan skin pale. Rick hopped off the horse. “See? The horse and I are fine. Neither one of us are bitten.” Rick assured jokingly, “Now let’s get the bags and head off.”

Mara bit her lip. “Yeah about that…how about you ride old Betsy here and I’ll walk alongside you guys? Or you can ride ahead and I’ll meet you there!”

Rick turned to look at her. Mara had half-expected to see a mocking expression  on the cop’s face. After all her brothers always laughed at her about the phobia. The novelty of it worn out when she was ten according to Bryon, now it was just funny. So it surprised Mara when instead of a look of laughter, Rick gave her a look of sympathy. “I take it, you’re scared of horses.” He stated.

“Petrified.” Mara admitted her face heating up, “When I was seven, my parents sent me to summer camp. It was fun until my horse threw me off its back. I had to go get my arm reset after that. Broke it thanks to the fall. Since then I’ve been terrified of them.”

“You’re going to be fine, Mara. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise, but we have to ride that horse. It’s the fastest way to Atlanta.” Rick coaxed, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I know. It’s just-Rick, that horse is going to throw us off its back some point in Atlanta. I just know it.” Mara revealed.

Unfortunately Rick took her statement to be more of fear rather than actual premonition.  “Mara, you’ll be fine. If you wasn’t, I sit behind you that way if the horse does throw us off-you’ll fall on me.”

Mara bit her lip. “Fine. But if I’m right then I’m drinking your beer.”

He gave her a perplexed look. As she trailed off to the horse with his bag. “Don’t tell me you have beer in that bag too?”

“Three brothers, Rick. All of above the age of twenty-one. Of course they make me carry beer for the camping trip, but don’t get too excited Bryon was carrying the majority of it.”

“Mar. I think one beer just might be a blessing nowadays.” He turned to her, “You’re going have to get on first.”

She pales a bit, but nods. “I’m a Grayson. We fear nothing and overcome everything.”

Rick watches trying to hold back both the horse and his laughter as Mara flops on top of it. After what seems like forever Mara finally makes it over the top. He smiles seeing the mixture of accomplishment and trepidation on her face. Without another word he swings himself  gracefully onto the horse. “Show off.” Mara mutters, but she’s gripping the saddle hard.

“You’re going to be fine, Mar.” Rick repeats as he takes hold of the reins.

The horse starts off causing Mara to squeak. Her back pressed into his chest as close as possible with the rucksack on. “Let’s go easy on this okay? Mara here isn’t too fond of horse and I haven’t done this in years.” Rick murmured to the horse.

“What do you mean you haven’t done this in-“  her words fall short as the horse rids off. “Shit!!! Get me off!! Get me off!”

However Rick ignores her cries as he does his best to slow the horse down. She has to get over her fear sometime. Might as well be now.


End file.
